


the long way around

by ciaconnaa



Series: tales of ba sing se [1]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Gen, I can't believe I've written a modern au that's also kinda a coffee shop au i am SO sorry, POV Alternating, Vague descriptions of self harm, as well as mental health struggles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-19
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:54:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,317
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25384141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ciaconnaa/pseuds/ciaconnaa
Summary: The fact of the matter is, they need to rent out the spare room. Ba Sing Se isn't cheap. But leave it to Aang to bring back a roommate candidate that’s old enough to be his grandfather.or;Iroh moves to Ba Sing Se, hoping to one day find his long lost nephew. Zuko moves to Ba Sing Se, hoping it will be a good move for the sisters he looks after. They find each other. It just takes some time.And a lot of new friends.
Relationships: The Gaang & Zuko (Avatar)
Series: tales of ba sing se [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1866637
Comments: 103
Kudos: 1644





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> im so sorry.

Leave it to Aang to bring back a roommate candidate that’s old enough to be his _grandfather._

Aang texts Sokka the details all of about _five minutes_ before the two of them walk in through the bright blue door of their loft. His name is Iroh, he’s fifty-five years old, and they bonded over Aang’s tattoos and tea at the bus stop. He’s just moved to Ba Sing Se from Capital City with plans to expand his business and open a second tea shop two blocks over.

“There’s a very lovely apartment right above the shop I’ve purchased,” Iroh explains. His voice is weathered, scratchy, but extremely warm. It takes all of maybe two minutes for Sokka to understand why Aang trusted him so easily. “But it needs a lot of repairs, and it will take some time with renovations. When I told Aang I was hoping to find a place close by to oversee the work, he informed me that you guys might be in need of a roommate and I thought, well.” He laughs. “Fate sure is a funny thing.”

Sokka has to fight the roll of his eyes at the mention of fate, but he’s sure his sister is made a little mushier from his words. But the truth of the matter is that, yeah, they _do_ need a roommate. Living in the city isn’t cheap. And if the grandpa with the colorful robes and the magnificently braided beard wants to fill the spot, he honestly doesn’t have the heart to refuse.

“I mean, it’s fine with me,” Sokka says, waving his hand around to gesture for the others to put in their votes. Katara and Aang immediately nod their heads. Toph scratches at Appa’s head and stares at the floor, still unsure. “He looks pretty harmless.”

“Iroh seems pretty great!” Aang adds. “And he told me he’s only been to jail, like, _once.”_

It’s just the right thing to say because Toph throws her head back and cackles. “Hell yeah! He’s in. But I want free tea when the place opens up.”

Iroh smiles. “I can arrange that.”

* * *

Zuko didn’t think there could be someone more exasperating than his younger sister until he met his _other_ younger sister.

In Kiyi’s defense, she’s _five._ And hell, if he was five years old all over again and he was sent to go live with some long lost older brother he knew nothing about after his parents died, he might be a bit dramatic about it, too. So she does well, all things considered. But she picks the _strangest_ battles. Today it’s about her sneakers. She wants to go barefoot for some inexplicable reason, and not even an internet image search of public transportation filth can sway her from her decision.

“Oh, just let her, Zuzu,” Azula says, taking a dainty bite of her toast. She licks some melted peanut butter off her thumb. “She’ll step in some dog shit on the way to the bus stop and learn her lesson soon enough.”

Zuko closes his eyes and sighs, breathing heavily out of his nose. He grabs Kiyi’s arm before she can race off with an apparent victory. His other hand gently cups her chin and tilts her head up to look at him. “What did I say about listening to Azula?”

Kiyi pouts. “Don’t.”

Azula scoffs, finishing the rest of her toast in bitter silence.

“Shoes. Now. You’re going to be late for school, and I don’t really have time for this. I have to take Azula to her doctor’s appointment.” Behind him, he hears the scratch of the chair at the table and he snaps his finger, throwing his arm behind him. “Do _not_ throw your pills down the garbage disposal again.”

Azula tuts, mumbling something about a traitor. Zuko momentarily leaves Kiyi in favor of pouring a glass of orange juice, setting it in front of Azula with a pointed _thud._ “Here.” He shoves her pill box to her. “Take them.”

“Zuzu-”

“ _Take. Them.”_

She frowns, but takes them, rolling her eyes when Zuko makes her stick her tongue out to check that she really swallows them. For a moment, when she gets up, shoulders more hunched than they were five minutes ago, he lets himself feel bad. He knows the pills turn her into a bit of a zombie, but it’s better than the unmedicated alternative.

“Okay, I’m ready!” 

Kiyi stands in the kitchen with her right foot in a sparkly pink rain boot, the other in a summer sandal.

“Sure,” Zuko says, shoving both his sisters’ lunches in their arms. “That’ll work.”

* * *

In Toph’s opinion, Iroh proves to be the best roommate, like, _ever._

No one has to explain to him some of the extra measures they all have to take to compensate for Toph’s blindness. He just knows. Sokka spent an exorbitant amount of time laying out the kitchen and their single bathroom in a way that makes it easy to navigate (pantry specifically organized, soaps in a certain order, toothbrushes and towels….kept in everyone’s own room after Sokka found out he had been sharing a toothbrush with Toph for two months), and Iroh doesn’t disturb the system. He _does,_ however, disturb breakfast routines, in that he makes everyone breakfast and brews tea every morning, which is _awesome_ for her. She sucks at cooking. Hell, she sucks at pouring _cereal._ And because the birds wake her up and Aang wakes up to _sing with the birds,_ the two of them find themselves looking forward to their mornings with Iroh while he teaches Aang card games and tells Toph stories.

“Why Ba Sing Se?” Toph asks two or three weeks in. Katara and Sokka start joining them when Iroh baits them with bacon, but today they are still a little dead to the world, quiet and without their normal quarreling, waiting for the caffeine to do its job. “I know this place is big and all but I feel it’s lost its _city of dreams_ title years ago. This is kinda the worst city ever.”

“Ah,” Iroh sounds sad. Toph hears their cat Momo hop on the table to join in the fun. His tail whips around and Aang whines about fur in his cup. “The thing is, I’m hoping my nephew might be here. Unfortunately, for reasons out of my control, I lost contact with him several years ago."

Toph is more than nosey. “How come?”

“It’s a very long story. And, unfortunately, it’s not a very happy story, either.”

Sokka shifts uncomfortably beside her. As a group, they’ve all got emotional scars and family issues out the _ass,_ but his are more recent - he’s still licking his wounds. “I’m sorry. We won’t pry.”

“Nonsense,” Iroh assures. “You could do no such thing. I just worry.”

They all wait.

“My brother is not a kind man.”

* * *

“I like your tattoos.”

Zuko instinctively pulls Kiyi closer to him just as the stranger lets out a happy, “Hey! Thanks!” Despite the fact that they’re all standing on the bus, the young man manages to lean down to be face to face with Kiyi. He holds his arms out, inviting her to touch them, and she giggles, tracing the words and pictures inked in his skin.

“This isn’t a real turtle.” Kiyi tells him, tapping his arm for emphasis.

“Kiyi,” Zuko admonishes quietly. “Don’t be rude.”

“Nah, it’s fine!” The guy says. It’s been a long time since Zuko’s seen so many tattoos on any single person, and so intricate at that, so he figures the man must get a lot of questions. “This is called a _lion turtle._ It’s a very spiritual, magical creature.”

Her eyes light up. “Like a dragon!”

“Exactly. Got one of those on my back. Now this,” he points to his other arm, “is a _sky bison._ When I traveled to -”

The bus comes to a stop, the lights above the driver signaling that they’ve made it to their stop outside Ember Elementary. “Sorry,” Zuko mumbles, barely meeting the tattooed guy’s eye. “This is our stop. Say goodbye, Ki.”

“Bye-bye, tattoo man!” 

Zuko’s pretty sure he hears the man give his name, but he moves to get off the bus so quickly that it doesn’t stick.

“Can I get a tattoo?” Kiyi asks, swinging their arms back and forth as they walk the final block down to the school.

“When you’re old enough, sure. Get as many as you’d like.”

“How old is old enough?”

“Eighteen.”

She deflates, nearly stopping dead in her tracks on the sidewalk. “Zuzu, that’s _forever._ That’s so old.”

He cracks a smile and tugs her along. “If that’s old, what does that say about me? I’m twenty-four.”

“Ancient.”

Zuko laughs a little louder this time before he scoops up a squealing Kiyi and sets her on his shoulders. Once again, he notes, he has lost the battle of matching shoes. He wonders if the teacher will send him another note concerning the fact that she only has _one_ light up sneaker. 

“Zuzu?” she asks, a little somber, resting her cheek on the top of his head.

He pats her foot in encouragement. “Yes?”

“...I forgot my lunch.”

He sighs. 

Parenting your little sister is hard.

* * *

Iroh doesn’t know too much about his new roommates, but he does know that they’re quite the extraordinary group of friends.

Toph and Katara are athletes, that much is obvious - their shared room is covered in snowboarding trophies and judo medals. When they aren’t doing sports, Katara’s got her nose in a medical book and Toph is throwing pots at the ceramics studio or working at her gym downtown. Their schedules are always a bit crazy but when they’re together, Iroh will pass their open door and see them spread out on the floor sharing earbuds and listening to the same music, laughing and talking.

Sokka is whip smart. A certified genius, and pretty funny in Iroh’s opinion. He’s a jack of all trades. He can pick up anything at the drop of a hat. He has an assortment of jobs: some involve staring at code for hours on his computer, but most of the time he’s bringing home other people’s computers and appliances to fix, or going out to fix cars. When he’s not working, he’s reading. His library is impressive, packed so tightly, Iroh wonders how he gets them out to read in the first place.

He does notice the shelves are crowned by a wedding photo on the top: Sokka and a pretty girl his age, her hair dyed white. It’s next to an urn, which makes Iroh’s heart sink every time he passes by and sees it. He doesn’t ask about it.

Aang has more energy than a caffeine shot. His bubbly personality and colorful array of tattoos make it easy for him to start conversations and make friends. His room is covered in pictures of his travels. His bed is always a mess, but it doesn’t matter. He usually falls asleep in the hammock he’s set up high in the living room. He’s a part time student of religious studies, but volunteers nearly everywhere: the zoo, food drives, the art museum, animal shelters. But as soon as he mentions the need for a job, Iroh knows just what to do.

“I could use some help doing the final touches on my shop. Some things are too heavy for me to lift.”

“Ooh, ooh! I can do that.” He gently taps Sokka’s elbow with the end of his chopsticks, making him grimace. “Sokka could help, too. He’s really good at layouts and designs.”

“Sure,” Sokka shrugs, and Iroh smiles. Sokka does a poor job of hiding his caretaker role in the group. He acts nonchalant, but he sees what he does for the others. He always does Toph’s laundry, does the grocery shopping, and sticks cash in Katara’s wallet when she isn’t looking. Now Iroh wonders if this makes him part of the group, too. “Sounds fun.”

“And,” Aang pipes in. “When everything is said and done; if you need a barista of sorts, I’m your guy!”

Toph snorts. “Have you ever made coffee or tea?”

“Iroh can teach me!”

“That I can.” He smiles warmly at Aang. “You’ll be my first hire.”

Aang’s grin is blinding. “Does that automatically make me assistant manager?”

Iroh laughs, because he supposes it does. 

* * *

Job hunting proves to be disastrous for Zuko. 

Luckily, he has a little bit of time. Zuko’s been able to stretch the small amount of money he got from Ursa when she died so they can afford the one bedroom apartment in the lower west side of Ba Sing Se. It’s not the most ideal - he gave the bedroom to Azula, and Kiyi has to sleep out in the living room with him - but it works, for now. 

If he’s being honest, he’s not sure what’s more of a hindrance for employment - the scar on his left eye, or the fact that he has to drag around a little sister young enough to be his daughter. The scar thing doesn’t make him the most friendly face for customer service, and the Kiyi thing, as adorable as she is, doesn’t make him seem like the most reliable employee. They appear like a two for one package, and he’s pretty sure shops and offices aren’t looking for kindergarten-aged associates.

But he can’t leave Kiyi with Azula - he can barely leave Azula by herself. This time he’s managed to coerce his downstairs neighbor, Song, to call his sister’s cell phone every single hour and make sure she’s okay. And it’s not like he thinks that Azula will necessarily hurt Kiyi - but he knows she’ll confuse her or upset her. 

It’s all kinda fucked.

“So, where to next?” Kiyi asks as they climb the stairs back to their apartment, a day of misses and _no thank yous_ . His sister was extremely patient and well behaved for the day and he’s rewarded her with an ice cream cone that’s melting down her arm. “I think you should work at the _ice cream shop.”_

He snorts, trying to fish his keys out of his backpack. “You just want free ice cream.”

She licks the mess on her forearm. “Well, duh!”

He’s got the key in the lock when the stairs in the walk up explode with noise. Zuko hears arguing, as well as the squelching of boots. He hears a man repeat instructions of coughing and breathing before another girl bites at him to _shut up._ The sound of a dog shaking it’s fur dry makes all of them whine.

Zuko’s curiosity gets the best of him and he waits to see what mess is climbing the stairs, and he isn’t disappointed. A woman in a formal kimono is absolutely _drenched,_ her make-up running down her face. Another drenched girl, smaller, has her hair falling out of it’s bun and in her face. The boy is practically carrying her, the front of his shirt soaked and one of his boots missing. The dog smells like...well, wet dog. Kiyi pinches her nose.

“I’m telling you, we should really call my sister.” The boy says. “Dry drowning is a thing -”

“Oh my god, we’re fine Snoozles. Shut _up.”_

It takes a moment, but Zuko soon recognizes the woman in the kimono as his next door neighbor. He doesn’t know her name. Still, she offers Zuko a polite smile that he doesn’t return. Red lipstick and mascara are smeared all over her face as she opens her own apartment door and ushers her friends inside.

He hears the small girl say, “That’s the last time I walk Appa by the river,” before the door slams shut and Zuko and Kiyi are alone in the hallway.

“Her kimono was pretty,” Kiyi says. “Can I have one?”

He finally opens the door and ushers her inside. “Maybe one day. And only if you promise not to go swimming in it.”

Inside, Azula is sitting at the tiny excuse of a kitchen, playing cards by herself. Kiyi is eager to regale her with the sight they just saw, giving extra attention to the details of the kimono she thought was so beautiful.

“It sounds pretty,” Azula agrees, and Kiyi beams with happiness that her older sister apparently agrees with her. “But be careful. Kyoshi warriors are not to be trusted. They’re obstacles to the Fire Nation’s success. Remember that.”

Kiyi frowns at that, confused, and looks to Zuko for help. He smiles, but it’s much more like a grimace, and simply tells her to go finish her ice cream alone. Azula goes into more details about the Kyoshi warriors, talking to herself, while Zuko takes a peek at the pill box over the kitchen sink.

Full.

He says nothing, just pours a glass of water and scoots the pills her way, waiting in hard silence until she relents and takes them.

* * *

Aang doesn’t want to brag, but he’s kinda responsible for the Jasmine Dragon’s Grand Opening success.

(Okay, him _and_ Suki. She’s great with coffee. And of course, Iroh. It’s his tea. But then again Sokka kinda saved the day when the espresso machine quit and he fixed it and then Katara is light speed at cleaning tables -”

So, maybe it’s a group effort. But his fruit tart recipe definitely pulled the most weight. 

Aang’s been baking nonstop and surprisingly, he loves it. His foster parent Gyatso taught him all sorts of recipes with all different types of fruits. Iroh had originally never planned to sell too many baked goods, but after he caught Aang baking in the apartment one day, he asked if he’d like to take on the task. So far, so good: it feels a little like revisiting his childhood, when he was twelve and everything was simple.

He wakes up early, bakes, then settles in for the morning shift before he has to volunteer or go to class, and Iroh comes in to take over. It’s pretty smooth sailing. They already gain a few regulars in the span of a few weeks.

Including Miss Blue.

That’s not her name, but she doesn’t ever give it when he asks after she’s ordered her soy milk latte. Aang always figures she’s tired, given her glazed eyed look, so he lets it go. She always wears her hair in a loose bun on her head, the pieces framing her face dyed a bright, electric blue. Hence the name _Miss Blue._ He’s extremely clever.

He tried complimenting her on it, once. Said his roommate Katara sometimes dyed her hair with blue streaks, too. 

Turns out Miss Blue isn’t really the chatty type.

But Aang still tries to make her smile. Makes it a personal goal. Suki teaches him latte art and he picks it up pretty quickly. He leaves the lid off her to-go cups so she can see it when he hands it over: he does flowers, hearts, a little kitty cat. Sokka figured out how to make a dragon in, like, one hour, _the little overachiever_ , and it takes Aang the same amount of time begging to get him to teach him. 

“One soy latte,” he says once he’s finally mastered it. “On the house today.”

Miss Blue takes the cup and looks at it and then - finally! - a smile. It’s a little crooked and sly, much like Toph’s can be, but he feels like he accomplished something. “A dragon. I love dragons.”

Hook, line, and sinker. “Yeah? Me too!”

She looks at it for a moment before she slaps the lid over it and takes a sip. Aang doesn’t know how. She orders it _ridiculously_ hot. It’s gotta hurt. “Dragons are the original firebenders. Did you know that?”

That’s not what he’s expecting to come out of her mouth. His mind blanks. “Uh.”

“I dreamed of slaying one. But, they’re extinct of course. My uncle killed the last one.”

Aang blinks. “Oh. Right.” He squints while he goes through his mental Rolodex. “Is this some sort of book or something -”

He doesn’t get to finish. The chimes on the front door sing when it opens and a man - the one with the scar that Aang saw on the bus a few weeks ago - pokes his head in. “Hey,” he calls Miss Blue. “C’mon, we gotta go. Ki’s gonna be late for school.” 

Miss Blue waves him off, but starts to head out. “Oh, very well. Thank you for the dragon,” she tells Aang on her way out. “I expect one on every latte I order from now on.”

He smiles and waves, and that’s that. 

* * *

Iroh’s roommates let him in the Loft Group Chat. They call it the _Aang Gaang._ It’s silly and hard to follow, but he finds it profoundly amusing. It’s usually just Aang sending the group pictures of cute kittens at the shelter or pics of his favorite penguins at the zoo. Today, he’s volunteering at the Whaletail Aquarium and he’s become extremely smitten with their brand new koi fish exhibit. Iroh gets about 15 notifications in the span of two minutes.

 **[Aang] :** _Look at the white koi fish! I named it after Yue :3 She would have loved it._

The entire group leaves a heart emoji over the comment. There’s something bigger, something he’s missing.

He leaves a heart, too. It feels like the right thing to do.

The last photo Aang sends at the aquarium is a selfie by the koi fish. The background is relatively desolate as the aquarium is starting to close down, but something still catches his eye.

It’s an eye. A badly burned one. On the face of someone that looks so familiar it _aches._

But he knows his mind is playing tricks on him as he leans down, showing a little girl the very white Koi fish that Aang and the rest have so dearly fallen in love with.

...Right?

* * *

As Kiyi sits in a lone corner of the gym while her brother tries to swindle himself into getting a job, she watches as a tiny, tiny woman keeps shoving big, burly men into the mat.

She’s in love with her, as much as any five year old can be in love.

“You’re really strong,” Kiyi says when the woman comes over, squirting water from a water bottle all over her face. “That’s so _cool.”_

Her grin is that of a madwoman. “Damn straight.” Kiyi watches as she wiggles her bare toes against the dirty gym floor; she’s inspired to kick off her own shoes, glad that someone _else_ thinks shoes kinda suck. The woman looks at her, or rather _over_ her, and asks: “Who is in charge of you?”

“My brother,” she says. “He’s talking to Mr. Piandao about teaching Taekwondo here.” 

“Oh yeah?” More water to her face. Kiyi thinks she should _drink it._ “Sweet. I know Piandao needs help with his students.”

Kiyi looks behind her at all the guys that are sweating and panting from losing. “Are you a Taekwondo teacher, too?”

“Nope. What you just saw was judo. It’s different.”

“How?”

“Gotta sign up for classes to find out.”

Kiyi wrinkles her nose before she pouts. “How much are classes?” But then she remembers her secret stash of savings at home. “I have five dollars in my piggy bank!”

The woman laughs, loud and ugly. “Tell you what. If your brother gets the job, I’ll teach you free of charge. Employee perks.”

“Really!? You can do that?”

“I can do anything I want.” She wipes her mouth with her sleeve. “I own this gym.” She points behind her. “At least, I think it’s on that wall…”

Kiyi isn’t the best reader, but she tries her best. “Beifong….Athletes?”

“Beifong Athletics.” 

“Awesome.”

“It really is, huh _.”_

Her brother comes out about ten minutes later, smiley and happy for a change.

It seems he’s gotten the job.

Ms. Beifong says she can start lessons next month.

* * *

Katara’s team gets a call about a mentally distressed woman in need of some care at around two in the afternoon on a Sunday. 

She’s mildly worried when Due pulls the ambulance up to Suki’s apartment building, but it turns out to be right next door - not Suki at all. Instead, a man opens the door, hair sopping wet and clothes not too far off from that, the left side of his face covered in what is, yes, the mark of a burn.

It’s old though. It’s scarred, badly, but it’s healed. However, Due must stare just a _hair_ too long because the man grits his teeth before they can get a word in. “ _I’m_ not the burn victim,” he all but growls. “It’s my sister.” He steps back and gestures for them to come inside.

“What happened?” 

“She turned the stove on and stuck her hand in the flame.”

Katara blinks. 

He goes on to explain, “She thinks she can control fire.”

As Huu and Due push past her, a stretcher with them, they try to calm down the slightly hysterical woman. It doesn't go that well.

“Get off me!”

“Ma’am, please -”

“Filthy _bloodbenders_!”

Meanwhile, the brother shows her a prescription bottle written out for an _Azula._

Katara recognizes the medicine as something used to treat psychosis. 

“The burn….isn’t the only thing,” the man admits with a sigh. 

She gently brushes past the guy to help Azula, who Huu has successfully calmed down. Aside from the terrible burn on her hand, she sees that her arms are covered in nicks and cuts. She’s bleeding quite a bit but Huu doesn’t look too worried as he helps bandage. There’s a pair of scissors on the floor that she must have used, both on her arms and her hair, which has been chopped to bits; half her bangs are gone.

“I just….I took a shower,” The man croaks, that original anger all gone. “I was in the shower. My younger sister, she’s five, she started screaming, and pulled Azula off the stove by the time I got out. She’d already...messed with her hair. And her arms.” He sighs. 

Katara glances up at him before she concentrates on one of Azula’s arms. Due radios Tho that they’re gonna bring her down and she concentrates on helping get Azula on the stretcher - she’s no longer thrashing, but she’s openly sobbing. “Where’s your younger -”

The brother points across the hall. “I left her with the neighbor.” _Suki. “_ She agreed to watch her while….yeah.”

Katara’s about to say _small world_ when Azula starts asking for her mom, loudly.

Her brother looks away, like it pains him. He opens his mouth, his whole body shaking. He runs his fingers through his hair. “I was just trying to take a shower. I was only in there for a few _minutes…”_

Katara feels more than bad. These situations are always so tough. “We’re gonna take her to Kuei Hospital for further treatment and….an evaluation.” Her brother nods pathetically as the boys take her down on the stretcher. “Are you gonna meet us down there?”

His eyes linger on the stove. It’s off, but he looks at it like he’s ready for it to light by itself. Like the flames will grow huge and lick at all their skin, burning them all.

His fingers graze the taut skin around his left eye.

“I’m right behind you,” he says.


	2. Chapter 2

“Thanks for watching my sister.”

His neighbor - Suki, her name is _Suki_ -smiles at him, all easygoing and pleasant. Ever since the incident with his older sister the other day, Zuko has left Kiyi with Suki all week in fear that the hospital visits would scare her too much. It’s a temporary solution for the inevitably difficult conversation they’re gonna have to have.

“It’s no problem,” Suki promises. She tilts her head, leaning back against the door frame. “Ever since she caught sight of the chess set in my apartment, she’s swindled my boyfriend into teaching her. It’s pretty much been nonstop lessons when she’s here.”

Zuko looks past Suki to see said boyfriend and Kiyi on the floor in front of a chess set, completely exasperated. He cries in anguish, pulling on his ponytail when she shrieks: “I declare the pawn...a princess!”

“Kiyi, I told you, you _cannot -”_

“You said pawns could become anything!”

“But there’s no princess piece!”

“Well, why not? There's a queen and a king -"

“Be _cause -”_

Zuko tries to drown them out. “Sounds like it’s going well,” he jokes, deadpan.

“I dunno,” she starts, talking over the argument. “Sokka can be pretty determined. Your sister might be a chess master soon enough.”

He nods, not really wanting to say anything else on the matter. “Kiyi,” he calls softly. “Time to go. Say goodbye to….” He recalls the name he just heard. “Sokka and Suki.”

She leaps to her feet and runs to the door, tackling him in a hug. Things are hard, but he’s glad that Kiyi is always happy to see him. “Next time, no princesses!” Sokka calls after her. “I mean it.”

Suki rolls her eyes fondly, giving them both a wave as Kiyi crosses the hall where fresh pizza that Zuko picked up on the way awaits.

They go about in silence as he plates her pizza first, trying and failing to put a napkin in her lap to try and prevent mess. When she’s otherwise preoccupied with folding her slice perfectly, he settles across her, trying to move Azula’s medical papers out of the way.

They catch her eye.

“Zuko? What’s _really_ wrong with Azula. ”

The inevitable.

He sighs, his elbow heavy against the kitchen table. His cheek rests against his palm, and he’s so tired he thinks his face could turn to putty in his hand.

Kiyi is looking at him with concern, confusion. She’s known both of them the exact same amount of time but Azula has always bewildered her. Now, Azula has _scared_ her. And she has every right to be frightened of and for her.

“She always tells scary stories,” she goes on. “About the firebenders and the Great War.” Kiyi picks off the pineapple on her pizza, despite the fact that she hounded Zuko to order it like that. “She said she can make lightning, but I know she can’t...right? It’s just a story.”

Zuko sighs, rubbing at his eyes. His fingers pinch the bridge of his nose. “Yes, Kiyi. They’re just stories.”

“Why does Azula act like they’re real?”

He adjusts his posture, sits up straight. He pushes back in his chair to make enough room, and gestures for Kiyi to come and sit on his lap. She’s young, painfully so, and he spends a moment trying to find the best way to explain to her so that she’ll understand without completely lying to her. “You know how we all have the same mom, but Azula and I have a different dad?” He begins, and she nods. “Well, our dad? He was a really mean man.”

Kiyi frowns. “Mean how?”

The skin around his eye prickles with pain, the memory still enough to burn him. But she doesn’t need the details of it. “Just...really mean, trust me. As we grew up, he scared both of us all the time. And sometimes, when a person is scared all the time, our minds,” he pauses to tap to her head. “They can get sick, too.” He tucks some of Kiyi’s hair behind her ear. “Her brain tells her that those ideas and stories are real so she won’t get scared anymore. It thinks it’s the best way to protect her.”

“She stuck her hand in the fire.”

“I know,” he says softly. “She didn’t think it would hurt her. She gets confused.”

“Because her brain is sick?”

“Yeah, a bit, Kiyi.”

“That sounds really hard.” She leans forward and rubs her nose into Zuko’s collarbone. 

He rests his hand on her back, rubbing lazy circles into it. “It is. But the medicine she takes every day? It’s supposed to help her. But…” He bites his lip. “After today, we realized that one might not be working. So we’re gonna try another one.”

Kiyi pulls back, looking alarmed. “What if that one doesn’t work either?”

“We have her try another. There’s one out there that will make her feel a little better, okay?” He rubs his hand up and down her arm before he nods to the table, encouraging her to eat some more pizza. 

“I hope so. I like Azula.” He blinks. That’s not a sentence he’s ever heard often. “She’s a good big sister, even though she’s kinda scary.” Zuko snorts at the understatement, and Kiyi giggles at the sound. “Like, she’s _really_ good at jump rope. And she always plays board games with me when I ask.” Oily fingers tug on his shirt. “She also said she’s really good at chess! She says no one can ever beat her.”

“That’s true,” Zuko says, recalling snippets of the few good times they always had. They tended to have one thing in common. “Our uncle taught us. He said he wished he hadn’t, because she always kicked his butt once she learned the rules.”

Kiyi offers him a piece of pineapple, which he eats. “You have an uncle? Can I meet him?”

Zuko’s throat feels tight. “No,” he says softly. “He isn’t around anymore.”

“...Like Mom?”

Growing up, Ozai lied to him so many times. His father said his uncle died, but part of Zuko doesn’t believe it. Just another lie, he tells himself. But he has no proof. And without knowing where he is, he’s as good as dead. 

“Yeah, like Mom.”

There’s a beat of silence. “Can I come with you next time? To see her?” She tugs on his sleeve again, this time with more urgency. “I want to ask her if she’ll play chess when she comes home. Once Sokka finishes teaching me, I can beat her _for sure.”_

Zuko pulls her closer, resting his cheek on the top of her head. “Yeah, Ki. Sounds like a plan.”

* * *

“Good job, Kiwi. That’s enough for the day.”

“It’s _Kiyi.”_

“Close enough.”

Toph’s newest little pupil collapses in a dramatic heap; she hears the thud on the mat, as well as her groan, and she can’t help but laugh. Kiyi is too young for any of her classes, but she’s a cute kid - well, at least she sounds like it. So, Toph worked around her brother and Piando’s schedules to give her a few pointers while they taught Taekwondo.

When Kiyi’s groan turns into a bit of a whine, Toph feels the need to point out, “Your despair is supersonic.”

“I don’t know what that _means.”_

“It means you aren’t dying, Drama Queen. Get up, get up. There’s fire flakes in my bag.”

She perks up. Bribery is a beautiful thing. “Really?”

“They aren’t gonna eat themselves. Go ham.”

Toph hears her start snacking, humming a happy tune underneath her breath, and it isn’t long before the Taekwondo class finishes up for the day. Kiyi cheers when she sees her brother, and Toph is pretty sure she hears the sound of those fire flakes getting crinkled on the ground. “Zuzu!” she yells. “Can we go to the park before it gets dark?”

“Not today, Ki.” He says softly. She hears him grunt, likely letting her climb up on his back. She’s heard that he lets her do that often. “We have to go to the hospital to visit Azula.”

“Oh,” Kiyi says, sounding meek. “Okay.”

“You said you wanted to go.” A pause. “Have you changed your mind?”

“No, no!” She shakes her head violently. “It’s just...I’m scared.”

Toph doesn’t like hospitals either, and half their horrors are things she can’t even see. But the beeping and the rushed yelling of nurses, the cries and moans of the patients - that’s enough to deter Toph as well. 

“You’ll be alright,” Toph tells her, giving her a thumbs up. “None of my students are pansies. I don’t _teach_ pansies.”

“Only kiwis?”

Toph laughs. “Yes, only kiwis. So be brave. Think you can do that?” 

There’s a long pause. “....Yeah, I think so.”

“Good girl.”

* * *

It doesn’t take long for Aang to realize something’s happened to Miss Blue.

She had come in every single day, at around five til eight, and then one day...she just stopped. The first day, he didn’t think anything of it, but after a week, he started to worry. He really hopes she’s okay.

But he doesn’t have a lot of time to dwell on it. The Jasmine Dragon has plenty of customers for him to serve; but that doesn’t mean he goes without a hint.

Aang is monstrously bored. Iroh went out on an errand and left him in charge, but combined with a slow day, he’s itching to brew some tea. But then, midday, late in his shift, two people walk in - Aang recognizes them as the two people on the bus that struck up a conversation about his tattoos. Okay, well, at least the little girl did. The older guy seemed like a bit of a grump about it.

Not today, though. Well, maybe he’s still a grump, but honestly, he looks just _tired._ Bone tired. He holds the younger girl’s hand lazily. “What did she say she always gets?” He asks her.

“A soy milk latte.” The girl answers. “She says the man always draws a dragon on the top for her.”

His voice is incredibly bland. “A dragon latte.”

“That’s what she said!”

Aang speaks without thinking. “Miss Blue.”

The two of them look up at him, faces blank, until the girl lets out a cry of _Tattoo Man!_ But the older guy still looks blank.

“Sorry,” Aang apologizes, sheepish. He scratches the back of his head. “It’s just - a soy milk latte with dragon art. I always make it for this one lady. But she hasn’t been in here for awhile.”

The little girl lights up. “Did she have blue hair!?”

“Yeah, her bangs were blue.”

“That’s our sister, Azula!”

 _Azula._ “Yeah? How’s she been? I kinda miss seeing her around.”

Her brother pinches her arm when she opens her mouth to give an explanation. “Hey,” she whines in protest. “I was just gonna say she’s _sick._ Not that she’s in the _hospital.”_

The guy’s gaze drifts heavenwards, mouthing a prayer to a god he likely doesn’t believe in.

But the little girl has the decency to look ashamed. “Whoops. Sorry. That’s a secret.” She points her finger in a way that means _business._ “Don’t tell anyone.”

Aang laughs lightly, walking over to the espresso machine to get started. “I won’t. One dragon latte, coming right up.” He nods to the pastry display. “Does Azula like pastries?” The little girl nods. “Why don’t you pick out one for her? Free of charge.”

The little girl presses her whole face to the glass to look and Aang laughs again when her brother pulls a disgusted face as he yanks her back, mumbling about germs. Eventually, she picks out an apple cinnamon roll. When he’s made the drink, he puts in three of those rolls in the bag, just because the word _hospital_ keeps ringing in his head even though it’s not a fact he’s meant to keep. He feels bad. “So you can all have one together.”

Honestly, the little girl looks at him like he’s a _god._ “Thank you, tattoo man!”

He laughs. “I’m Aang.”

“I’m Kiyi! This is my brother, Zuzu.”

Aang has to bite his lip to keep from laughing at what is obviously a nickname he hasn’t picked out for himself. “Some battles aren’t worth fighting,” Zuzu admits, his rough exterior finally melting when he gives his sister a winning smile. 

“I hear ya,” Aang agrees. “Tell Azula I said hi, okay?”

The girl waves, keeping the bag of pastries close to her chest; her brother has to wrestle the latte from her heads.

Iroh comes back about ten minutes later, bags of to-go cups under one arm and a few boxes of strawberries under the other. He glances at the display. “Someone must have really liked those cinnamon rolls, huh?”

He grins. “Of course. I made them.”

* * *

Azula’s two nurses cover the entire spectrum of emotion.

In the mornings, she gets Ty Lee. Ty Lee is bubbly, energetic, and never ever acts like she doesn’t want to be there. And while her cheer isn’t exactly Azula’s cup of tea, Ty Lee is a good listener, and she doesn’t treat her like a problem.

Mai is the exact opposite. She reminds her of Zuko a bit, but without the temper. Azula would bet money that Mai has never had the slightest inflection in her voice. She’s calm, bored, but secretly funny. She doesn’t feel like a nurse most of the time - she feels like a friend. She’s easy to talk to.

“Firebenders aren’t the only benders. There’s also waterbenders and earthbenders.”

Right now, she has Mai; she hums, checking Azula’s vitals. Her wounds have mostly healed, but the doctors suggested she stay a bit for more tests and evaluations. Zuko, ever the pushover, agrees. “There’s no airbenders, though,” Azula continues. “My great grandfather had them all killed.”

Mai blinks rapidly, looking at Azula like she’s spoken another language. But in the end, she shrugs, her expression cool the entire time. “That’s a shame.” She eyes the cinnamon roll that Kiyi had left for her when she had visited a few hours earlier with Zuko. “I’d eat that before Ty Lee comes in the morning. She’ll try to convince you to split it with her.”

The listen, but that's it. They hear her, but they don't believe her. Azula doesn't even believe herself these days. She wonders if that's supposed to happen.

Azula stares at the peace offering her sister gave her. “I’m crazy,” she says after a long silence, after Mai is almost out the door. “Aren’t I?”

Mai, ever so honest, just shrugs. “Maybe. I wouldn’t sweat it, though. Tons of people have tried cutting their bangs at home. Including me.”

Azula laughs, and she feels more sane than she has in a long time.

* * *

Katara’s at the store when she sees a familiar face.

He’s with the famed Kiyi - she’s heard a few things about her from Suki and Sokka, mostly about her atrocious chess skills - in the cosmetics aisle, looking at temporary tattoos.

“I think we should get the _dragons,”_ she tells her brother, standing on the tips of her toes to reach. She’s not even close. He grabs them, handing them to her so she can look.

“Do _you_ want the dragons, or do you want them because _Azula_ wants the dragons.”

“Both?”

Katara steps closer to grab their attention, looking over at some of the tattoos like she’s shopping for them as well. “Hey,” she says, leaning into their view. “Uh...Azula’s brother, right?”

He nods, expression a little tight, but he looks a hell of a lot better than he did when she got the call to get his sister at their apartment. “Yeah. You’re the paramedic.”

“EMT,” she corrects, always a bit of a stickler. “She...doing all right?”

“As well she can, I suppose.” He pauses. “Thanks for helping her.”

“Of course.” She gives Kiyi a smile. “I heard you’ve been spending a lot of time with Suki and my brother.” 

Zuko frowns, not connecting the pieces right away while Kiyi lights up with delight. “Yes! Suki is my babysitter when Zuko can’t take me with him. She’s so pretty! She does my make-up and Sokka plays board games with me.” She shows Katara the pack of tattoos. “I want to look like Aang from the tea shop!”

Katara nods, sharing her enthusiasm. Her personality is infectious. “Yeah? I know Aang, too. And I bet he’d love to see that.”

Kiyi looks down at the dragon tattoos she has. “...Do you think he’d like dragons?”

She nods. “Oh, yeah. But he’d want you to have whatever you want.”

“I want the dragons _and_ the fish.”

“Get both. They wash off. The more you put on, the louder he’ll laugh.”

That might not have been the best advice, considering it looks like _Zuko’s_ hair sprouts grey hairs at the thought of covering his sisters arms and legs in temporary tattoos. She does her best to remedy the situation.

“Pick out what you want, and hand ‘em over,” Katara says, palm outstretched. “It’s my treat. Then, maybe one day, I can come over when you’re with Suki and Sokka and we can all put on the tattoos and go surprise Aang. Sound good?”

Kiyi looks at Zuko with some top notch puppy dog eyes. “Can we, Zuko? Pleeeeeease?”

He sighs, shoulders sagging. Reminds Katara of Sokka. He always caves when it comes to his little sister, too. “Yes. That’s fine.”

“Can Azula do them, too? When she gets home?”

Zuko hesitates, eyes flickering to Katara. “Maybe. If she wants.”

“Will _you_ do a tattoo? Just one!”

“I have a feeling you’ve already decided I will.”

“Yay!” she cheers. “You’re the best big brother _ever,”_ and then proceeds to put one of every kind of tattoo pack into Katara’s hands.

Zuko goes pale looking at the receipt she’s racking up, but Katara doesn’t mind. She grabs one extra on their way out just to prove it.

* * *

Sokka loves working at the Jasmine Dragon.

He hadn’t planned on taking too many shifts, but he _loves it._ He’s always with his friends, in a friendly environment, with an even friendlier boss. He still does the oddball mechanic job, does some coding, but for the most part he spends four or even five days a week here with Aang and Suki. But it doesn’t change one very important fact.

“We need another hire.”

Aang agrees, wiping some sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. The morning rush at the Jasmine Dragon was absolutely brutal. “I know. Iroh’s been looking into it. I’m taking a midmorning class next semester, so I’m not gonna be able to take long shifts after I come in after four to start baking.” Behind them, Suki swears, accidentally touching a hot pot. “Katara’s going back to school, too. And Toph -”

“Toph’s the worst barista ever. I hope she never steps back behind the counter ever again.”

Sokka purposefully says this loud enough so that Toph can hear him from her place across the shop. She scowls and throws him the middle finger, but manages not to scream profanities across the room. The power of Iroh’s influence.

But Aang, ever the optimistic, just shrugs off their impending doom. “I wouldn’t worry about it. It’ll all work out.”

“Aang, _please._ You’re robbing me of my hobby to complain.”

“Sorry,” he says, definitely not sounding sorry. Suki laughs at him, sweet as a bell, and he can’t help but smile.

The front door of the shop chimes open and Sokka whirls around, a little tired, fully intent on letting Aang and Suki deal with this customer but then Aang _laughs._ Full on cackles, like he’s _losing it,_ like he’s _Toph,_ that he has to turn back around. Even Katara comes back from the dish pit to see what the commotion is all about.

Zuko and his sisters are here. And Kiyi’s covered in temporary tattoos from the neck down. 

“Sorry we didn’t wait for you.” Zuko says, mostly to Katara. “But she wanted to surprise _all_ of you.”

Katara smiles. “I think I can let it slide.”

Aang is still laughing, tears in his eyes. “Kiyi look at you! You have more tattoos than me!”

Her eye bug out of her head and she wipes her brow, blowing out a breath, much like Aang had just done earlier. “I know. This was a _lot_ of work.”

“Paid off. You look cool.” He looks over at Azula and manages to calm down, but still gives a bright smile. “It’s good to see you back!”

Sokka’s never met Azula, but judging by what Aang has told them about her, and how Zuko is standing as rigid as a board, she’s still a little off. Her hair is….a big indicator of that. It’s all messed up, not properly cut again after whatever it is she did to it. But other than that, she just looks tired. But she smiles back, a smirk that Toph would approve of, if she could see it. “You better still make those dragon lattes.”

“Of course.” He points to a clear table, the one next to Toph. “You guys want to sit in today?”

Zuko looks like he’s about to reject the offer but then Kiyi is tugging Azula over to the table beside Toph, telling her sister how she wants her to meet _Ms. Beifong._

He resigns, fishing for his wallet out of his back pocket. “Kiyi will just have a hot chocolate, if that’s okay,” 

“Sure!” Sokka can tell Aang’s already dreaming up the cat he’s going to paint on the top of her drink. “And what about you?”

He shrugs. “Nothing for me. I don’t like coffee.”

Sokka points to the logo on the wall by the entrance. “Then it’s a good thing we’re also a tea shop. You like tea?” Zuko nods. “What kind?”

He opens his mouth and it hangs open, the words not really coming out. He stares at the logo - _The Jasmine Dragon -_ like it’s a word in a different language. One he once knew, but has since forgotten. “I...don’t know. My uncle always used to make my tea. He always knew which ones I’d like. And I haven’t had it in years.”

If he concentrates hard enough, Sokka can hear Iroh’s footsteps above - his apartment is almost ready, with plans to move out at the end of the month, and he’s been up there for the last hour for lunch, promising to come down if Sokka is unable to hold down the fort on his own.

He doesn’t _need_ Iroh, but Sokka knows how much he likes to make tea for people who look like they could use a good cup. He has a way with selection. Like some weird tarot card reader, or something. “Why don’t you just sit down, and we’ll bring something over for you.”

Zuko nods, the slightest bob of his clenched jaw, and heads over to join his sisters. Suki and Aang work on the drinks while Sokka slips out back to go up the apartment, hoping to bug his good old roommate into what is essentially _vibe checking_ a customer with his choice of tea.

“Iroh?” Sokka asks, using the key to let himself in. “Hey, do you think you could come down for a minute? There’s some dude that seriously needs you to read his tea leaves or whatever magic it is you do -”

His own voice is drowned out of a loud, thunderous snore.

Iroh’s asleep on his new couch, drool trickling out of the corner of his open mouth. 

Sokka snorts, rolling his eyes fondly. He must be pretty tired. Seems a little cruel to wake him up now. With his original mission thwarted, Sokka spends a few minutes wandering around the apartment, checking out the renovations and decorations he’s added. Sokka’s got roped into doing a lot of it - he’s cheaper than any handyman, probably better than them too. But he hasn’t seen the decorations, the fresh coats of paint. It’s nice. 

The living room has a lot of sunlight, and there’s tons of plants, most of them hanging and sitting in pottery Toph made. The furniture is simple and warm. On the little fireplace mantle, he has two photos. The first one is of a young man in uniform, Lu Ten, the photo worn and loved, like he had kept it in his pocket, only to frame it when he realized it was too precious to lose. The resemblance to Iroh is uncanny, and Sokka smiles, wondering if Lu Ten is anything like his father. The photo sits upon a keepsake box, which sits next to an _urn_ and -

Oh.

Sokka rips his gaze away, throat tight.

After a moment, he focuses on the other photo, yet to be framed - this one has Iroh in it. He’s with a kid that _isn't_ Lu Ten that is maybe, thirteen or fourteen, sitting around a pond feeding ducks.

This time, Sokka can’t help but stare. The kid is familiar. Scary familiar. 

He picks up the picture and turns it over, reading the inscription on the back.

_Zuko, age 13_

Sokka yelps loud enough to wake Iroh.

“Wha-What?” Iroh sputters, rubbing his eyes furiously. He glances at his tea, likely wondering if he wasted a hot cup, but relaxes considerably when he sees his mug is empty. “Sokka? What’s wrong?”

He waves the photo around. “Yeah. You should come down. I found a new potential hire that you’re gonna _love.”_

* * *

Iroh can’t believe it.

His nephew is in his shop.

After nearly _years_ of looking for him, of trying to find where Ozai took him and his sister, there he is, sitting at his favorite table. Azula is there too, eyes wild like they were in her youth, but there’s an easiness about her. She’s smiling, clearly happy, telling the younger girl in Zuko’s lap about God knows that. The little girl has a mustache of whipped cream on her upper lip and her hands are sticky from icing on a donut, but she’s smiling too, Azula’s story clearly amusing.

And Zuko. He’s smiling, too. It’s been _so long_ since he’s seen him _content._

His hands shake a little as he brings over the tea - owner’s choice. “I’ve brought you your favorite, my nephew. Jasmine tea.”

Zuko’s head whips up, eyes wide, though one wider than the other. The left is damaged, buried under scar tissue, and Iroh could cry. His poor Zuko. But those eyes, they have the same warmth. The same kindness. 

The chair screeches and the little girl fumbles out of his lap as Zuko stands up, his shock still evident. The table rattles when he moves and Azula tries to stop it, but the cups fall over, making a mess. The little girl whines when her donut gets on the front of her shirt. 

A tear rolls down his cheek before Iroh reaches for Zuko’s shoulder and pulls him into his chest, squeezing him with all he’s got.

His nephew hugs back, arms shaking, nose buried in his shoulder.

“Uncle,” Zuko sniffs, and Iroh’s heart skips a beat. “Uncle -”

Iroh kisses the side of Zuko’s head before he leans back, just enough to cup his nephew’s face in his hands. “Zuko. I looked for you for so long. I’ve missed you so.”

He smiles back, eyes glassy with tears and lip wobbling. “I’m so glad you’re here,” Zuko whispers, wiping his nose with the back of his hand. His laugh is small, embarrassed. It’s music to Iroh’s ears. “My father said - he said you - that you -”

Iroh’s heart clenches. “Shh,” he soothes. “I’m here now.”

Zuko nods pathetically before he looks down to the side, watching as tea drips off the side of the table. “Sorry about the tea. I know you hate to waste it.”

“For you, my nephew,” Zuko’s expression starts to crumple, and Iroh is quick to swipe away another tear from his cheek with the pad of his thumb. “I’d throw it all away.”

* * *

The park is quiet in the cool afternoon. The breeze is a little too much to be playing chess, but that hasn’t stopped Kiyi from dragging the one kept in Suki’s apartment out to the picnic table they’ve chosen, underneath the maple tree. Both Kiyi and Azula are constantly blowing their bangs out of their face and pulling leaves off their board, and Zuko has had the immense amusement of watching Kiyi and Azula overthink this game. Okay, so it's basically Sokka and Kiyi vs Azula, but Suki's on Azula's right, giving advice she clearly doesn't want.

It’s fun. They’re having fun. Just like they do every year.

It’s what Lu Ten would have wanted.

“Does it hurt?”

Iroh speaks so softly that no one else hears - Aang continues chattering away from the branch he’s climbed while he tries to coax Katara up, the chess game continues, and Toph snoozes with Appa in the shade. 

“No,” Zuko answers, glancing over at his uncle. The little memorial for Lu Ten is almost set up. “Not anymore.”

He closes his eyes, feels his uncle’s palm against his left eye. “I’m so sorry.”

Zuko tries for a smile. “Thanks. But things are better now. He isn’t around. Azula’s getting better. I have Kiyi, now. I have you.”

Over the past few days, Zuko’s had the bittersweet task of catching up with his uncle. The positives mostly revolve around getting out from under Ozai, and getting custody of Kiyi. He’s happy to hear that his uncle has a tea shop of his own, just like he always dreamed. Even happier to learn he needs more help, and Zuko offers to work whenever he can. Yes, the positives are good.

The negatives, however, are pretty damn negative. 

His uncle looked distressed through it all. It’s a never ending trainwreck of bad news: Ursa’s random disappearance, Ozai moving them across the country, the lie of Iroh’s death. He looks particularly distressed to hear about his burn, and he’s upset to hear that his mother actually _did_ die, only months ago.

He’s especially upset to hear about Azula.

Zuko has seen the gears turning in his head when he tells him what’s happened, and what he’s tried to do for her. Iroh’s brow furrows like he’s planning something, and Zuko figures he is, he’s just waiting for the right words.

“Zuko.”

He pauses, letting the moment stretch on in quiet, giving them the opportunity to listen to their friends goof off and have fun in celebration of Lu Ten. “My new apartment above the tea shop has three bedrooms,” Iroh says, after the moment passes. “If you ever need help with Azula. Or Kiyi. Or both.”

Zuko frowns. He understands his implication. “I have everything under control.”

“I know,” Iroh agrees readily. He pats the back of his hand, gently. “That doesn’t mean you have to burn yourself out to do it alone. Your sisters...they need a lot of help, and for different reasons. I just don’t want you to lose yourself, trying to keep your family taped together.”

He laughs a little, tired at the thought of the burn out he’s already seen at the end of the tunnel. “They need me.”

“They do.” Iroh hums around a sip of his drink. “They need you to be the best you can be. Even if that means accepting some help that brings about some changes.”

“I can’t leave them.”

“I’m not saying you should. I would never want that for you three. I just want you to think about what _you_ want, and who _you_ want to be.” Another sip. “I’m here to help you. To shoulder some of the responsibility while you finally have the opportunity to mold your own destiny.”

Zuko feels his eyes watering. The thought of change is always hard on him. “You would do that? You would….you would help me with Kiyi? Let her stay with you? Even though she’s not your niece?

“She’s your sister,” Iroh says softly. “So that makes her my niece in every way that matters. I already raised two good kids,” He pats Zuko on the shoulder, making him smile. Lu Ten's absence feels huge in that moment. “I can do it again.”

“And Azula -”

“She was harder to connect with when she was younger. I used that as an excuse. Now, I have a chance to help her this time. Get to know her, like you have.”

“She’s still scary, you know.”

“I would expect nothing less.”

Zuko shakes his head, his hair overgrown and in his eyes. “Even with your help, I’ll admit, I don’t even know where I would even begin. I don’t know how to find my place in this world.” 

Iroh doesn’t get a chance to get a word in because Kiyi shrieks out, “Checkmate!”

Azula slaps her hands on the picnic table. “Okay, wait, what the _fu_ -”

“Sokka, look we did it! We beat her!”

“This is ridiculous,” Azula scoffs. “Two against one is hardly a fair chess match. It's cheating. Kiyi, move aside. No more going easy for little school girls. This time, I’m not holding back. Sokka, front and center; you’re going down.”

“Hah! In your dreams!” But Sokka takes Kiyi’s place anyhow, and begins setting up the pieces. “I’m a strategist extraordinaire. A chess _master.”_

“Five bucks says Sokka wins!” Aang says, jumping down from the tree. He wakes Toph and Appa in the process, the former sticking out her leg to trip him for his crimes.

“Nah, I’ll put my money on Azula,” Katara says.

Sokka frowns. “You’re just saying that because you like to see me lose.”

“It’s what sisters are for.”

Toph peels herself up from the ground. “I call winner!”

“Toph, do you even know how to play chess?”

“Who said anything about chess?”

“Oh no, no no no. Listen, last time you made me wrestle, Suki had to take me to the _hospital_ -”

“Don’t let Toph break your thumb this time. It’s that simple.”

_"Let her!?"_

Zuko laughs as they all crowd the picnic table, intent on watching the match, just as Iroh leans a little more heavily against his side.

“To start,” his uncle says, his voice clear among the chaos, “I know some people looking for a roommate.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some fun facts/headcanons that I didn’t include because it made the story feel too much like info dump:
> 
> 1\. Sokka married Yue when he was 18 after dating for a month because they were young dumb and in love. She passed away not too long after.  
> 2\. Toph isn’t just good at judo, she has an Olympic gold medal. Judo in the Paralympics is specifically for the visually impaired. she's a rich kid still, that's how she affords the gym. inheritance, baby.  
> 3\. I didn’t imagine the forehead arrow, but Aang's got ‘em on his hands!  
> 4\. I can’t believe I wrote this fic in the first place. a atla modern AU. in 2020. Internally, I feel 12 years old and thriving. Externally, I’ve got my head on the chopping block ready to atone for my sins.

**Author's Note:**

> edit: SO this is a little - okay, a LOT - more popular than I had anticipated. I have an idea for a companion fic and I don't know if it would be posted on this as continuation, but I am leaning towards no. so, if you don't want to miss out on a potential new story, I would subscribe to either the story or me as an author. or just stalk my profile page every few weeks. whatever is your vibe.
> 
> im on tumblr, too, same username


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